After the End
by ScottFox
Summary: After the end, the Sole Survivor and Piper rediscover each other. Contains story spoilers for Fallout 4.
1. Chapter 1

It was no secret to anyone in Diamond City that the final battle had descended upon the Commonwealth. The sounds of combat had echoed through the ruins of downtown Boston throughout the morning hours, of energy weapons and massive explosions and Vertibirds buzzing through the air, their miniguns whirring as they rained destruction onto the ruins. Life in the city had essentially ground to a halt, with shopkeepers abandoning their stores, closing for the day as a crowd gathered in the center of Diamond City's market, around a radio at Takahashi's. Travis, Diamond City Radio's anxiety prone DJ, had been reading out the reports that had been filtering in to him throughout the morning. The situation took a turn for the ominous when a much more authoritative voice came over the airwaves; identifying himself as the Director of the Institute and informing the people of the Commonwealth of their intentions after years of secrecy. As the morning progressed the sounds of the fighting had died, a silence that just fed the tension building in the marketplace. There were hushed conversations passing amongst the residents, as if people were too afraid to converse in a normal voice.

Piper took no part in the conversations. She sat on a bench, next to the entrance to Fallon's, anxiously wringing her hands. The feel of the fingerless gloves eventually grew to be so irritating that she pulled them off, shoving them into the pockets on her coat and mindlessly taking off her cap, running a hand through her air. She knew that Blue was out there. Of course he was. She knew he was probably leading the assault, right behind the Brotherhood's secret weapon, and that in all likelihood he had Cait backing him up. Piper felt a pang of jealousy at the thought. She desperately wanted to be with Blue, felt an overwhelming urge to protect the man from any more hurt. Yet she knew Cait was the better fighter, as much as she hated it. Piper hoped beyond hope that Blue's relationship with Cait stopped at being comrades in arms, although she wasn't certain. She hadn't seen him since shortly after the Brotherhood had raided the Railroad's Headquarters and destroyed the organization. She had been furious with him at the time, not understanding how Blue could throw his lot in with Maxson and the Brotherhood, how he couldn't see how dangerous they were. Yet the anger had faded as the weeks had gone by; while the feelings she had been nursing for the man from Vault 111 had not. She found her mind going to him whenever she wasn't distracted; from the style of his hair to his hazel eyes, to the shape of his body and the kindness she saw in him.

A cry went up from the crowd as a flash lit the sky, followed quickly by the ground rumbling and the sound of a massive blast reverberating off the walls of the city. Piper's stomach immediately did backflips at that. Her thoughts immediately went to Blue; hoping that he was nowhere near whatever had exploded.

* * *

Nate shielded his eyes from the flash of the blast, feeling the heat warm the side of his face as the initial, blinding light faded. He looked back, hearing a low breath escape from Elder Maxson, to his left. Nate felt nothing except numbness. He had forced his feelings down, into a separate part of his mind, the way he had learned to when he had been in the Army, more than two centuries earlier. The light gradually faded, a cloud rising above what had once been the Institute. It felt surreal, on some level, knowing that Shaun had been down there, that he had incinerated with the blast. Elder Maxson's voice prevented him from dwelling on that.

"It's done. Proctor Ingram will finish things here, Paladin. Meet me when you return to the Prydwen, but by all means, take your time." For the first time since he had met the young man, Nate saw a smile cross Elder Maxson's face. Nate nodded at him, before drawing a fist over his heart.

"Ad Victoriam, Elder," Nate said, voice filtering through his T-60 power armor. Maxson wordlessly returned the salute, essentially dismissing him. Nate turned and began walking, mindlessly, to the Vertibird. The surreal nature of his life had still not completely sunk in, even after close to five months. Cait sauntered along beside him, a laser rifle casually resting on her shoulder. She had actually suited up for the final assault on the Institute, clad in a black and olive drab Brotherhood uniform, with combat armor over it. She walked with the confidence of a woman who knew she could handle herself in combat, and Nate had come to value and care about the troubled woman immensely. At that moment, though, his thoughts were with Nora, and in the year 2077. She was gone, and there was nothing he could do to bring her back. He still hadn't been able to fully accept it, had only recently begun to realize that there was someone he had begun to care for as more than a friend. It was only in her absence that Nate had come to realize that Piper, the reporter from Diamond City, had grown on him. She'd snuck up on him. They had had words after the raid on the Railroad HQ, an action for which Nate still felt an unspeakable amount of guilt. He had gotten to know them, had become friends with the Railroad. But they hadn't offered that which he sought-absolute revenge on the Institute for stealing his life from him. As they climbed into the Vertibird, Nate looked toward Cait.

"Where to? Sanctuary? Red Rocket?" he asked.

"Are you not coming?" she asked in response.

"I have business I need to take care of in Diamond City," he replied. Cait grunted in response to that, a knowing look crossing her face.

"Alright. Starlight Drive In, then. Better than sitting alone at Red Rocket or with that muppet Preston at Sanctuary," she responded, drawing a quick snort of laughter from Nate.

"Alright, then," Nate responded, before turning to look at the Lancer piloting the Vertibird. "Starlight Drive-In," he shouted to him. The pilot gave him a thumbs up in response, as his voice came over the radio in the aircraft.

"The Minigun should be loaded and ready to bring the pain, sir," the Lancer responded, Nate turning to take hold of the minigun. He hoped that after the fight they had just been through it would be a quiet flight.

* * *

The sound of multiple Vertibirds flying directly over the city drew the eyes of the assembled crowd in the Diamond City market. They were flying in the direction of the Prydwen, the Brotherhood's massive airship that had docked at the ruins of Boston International Airport, several months earlier. None appeared to be landing, bringing a quick feeling of disappointment to Piper. Silence only briefly returned to the market, before Travis's radio broadcast was again interrupted, this time by a different voice.

"The Institute is no more. The Brotherhood has achieved absolute victory. People of the Commonwealth, your deliverance is at hand!" The rest of the message was drowned out by the euphoric explosion that filled the market, people jumping into the arms of those nearest to them. Piper spotted Nick Valentine, across the marketplace, and shared a knowing nod and a smile with him, before leaving the celebration. While she was thrilled that the Institute was destroyed, she wouldn't be able to relax until she knew Blue's fate.

* * *

Nate sat alone in the house he had built at Starlight Drive-In for himself. It wasn't a particularly extravagant affair, a simple building with some lights, books and magazines he had found, and a bed. He had exited his power armor and now sat on a chair, facing an opening he had built to be able to look out over the Wasteland and the approach to the settlement. He looked at his hand, idly spinning his wedding band around on his ring finger. It was done, and he felt nothing. _I'm sorry, Nora. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you. I'm sorry for what Shaun grew up to be. But I have avenged you. Sleep well, my love. Please forgive me._ He sighed heavily, before pulling off the ring. It felt almost…sacrilegious to do. A betrayal to his dead wife. Nate pushed the feeling aside, the dissonance it caused inside him as it clashed with the feelings he had developed while in the Wasteland being too much to think of at the moment. Standing from his chair, he walked to a dresser, placing his and Nora's rings into the same drawer. He had carried his with her throughout his travels, a reminder of what had been stolen from him. Nate nodded again, as if telling himself that he had done the right thing, before turning to pull on his Vault suit. It fit snugly, but was the most comfortable thing he owned. Quietly, he slipped out into the evening air and made his way to the Vertibird, the pilot looking up from where he stood; having gotten out of the aircraft when he had landed it.

"Where to, sir?" the Lancer asked.

"Diamond City," Nate replied.

* * *

Piper pushed her noodles around while she sat at Takahashi's, unable to eat. The party was in full swing in the marketplace, everyone eager to celebrate the destruction of the Institute and the end of the fear that came with them. Unable to eat, she resorted to swigging Nuka-Cola, doing anything to try to ease her stomach and keep her mouth from drying too much. A faint sound in the distance caught Piper's attention as she sat along the bar, at first distant before growing louder and more distinct. It was a Vertibird's rotors approaching, the aircraft coming into view over the wall behind the Mayor's office; the rotors rotating into landing position and beginning to descend. Piper quickly stood, knocking her stool over in the process. Flustered, she quickly set it right, before turning to look towards the entrance to town. Her heart jumped when she saw him-dark hair, a muscular build, bright blue jumpsuit making his way down the stairs. She began quickly walking towards him, a smile crossing her face before breaking into a full run. She saw a smile cross his face as he saw her too.

"BLUE!" she yelled, rushing to him and jumping into his arms, burying her face in his chest.

"Hey, Piper," he whispered in her air, taking in the scent of her hair as he closed his eyes and rested his head on the top of hers. She held him tightly, hands squeezing the muscles of his back. Nate felt a twinge a pleasant twinge at that. After a moment she stepped back, her grayish eyes meeting his as she looked up at him.

"I missed you," she whispered to him, eyes beginning to tear up. He reached out and caressed her cheek, his thumb lightly grazing to wipe away a tear.

"I missed you too, Piper. Do you want to give me some time to clean up and then meet me in the market?" he asked. She nodded.

"Sounds good. I'm starving, I'll meet you at Takahashi's," she replied. It took all her effort to stop herself from running home to clean up. She threw the lock on the bathroom door as she ran water into her tub, stepping in and beginning to vigorously rub off the dirt on her hands. She began scanning the room, looking to see where she left her razor, before spotting it within arm's reach.

* * *

Nate rinsed off the layer of dried sweat and gunpowder and dirt that had accumulated over the final battle. He felt much less disgusting with it gone, much more comfortable being close to Piper now that he wasn't as worried about how he smelled. Standing in the middle of his house in Diamond City, naked, he let the water roll off his body as he scanned for something to wear. He settled on a pair of green pants and a white shirt, pulling them on before tying up his black, leather combat boots and stepping back outside. It was early evening, March in Boston, and there was a chill in the air. He made his way to Takahashi's, in the center of town, spotting Piper already waiting. Her hair laid closer to her head then normal, dark and slightly wavy and still slightly wet. She smiled as she looked up and saw him, sliding a bowl of noodles to him as he sat alongside her.

"Thanks, Piper," he said, gratefully accepting the food. They sat in silence for a moment, happily eating, before Piper finally spoke up.

"How did it end, Blue?" she asked. He knew what she meant without needing her to elaborate.

"Pretty violently. Liberty Prime blew a hole through the roof of the Institute, let us get in that way. We got inside, made our way to the fusion reactor. Planted a charge and set it off," he summarized. He didn't want to go into the painful details of Shaun, the son he had been frantically looking for, being the leader of the Institute. Maybe another time, once he had learned to accept it, he could explain it to Piper. She reached over, her smaller hand, the smooth skin of it, resting on top of Nate's. The warmth of her hand, the fingers intertwined with his, was the most comforting physical contact he'd had since he had emerged into this world. He grasped back, holding her hand tightly as they finished their food. With the noodles gone, and his ravenous hunger eased, Nate looked at Piper again, realizing that he wanted her. Badly. He had a feeling that the desire was mutual, as well. Eyes meeting, he raised an eyebrow at her before speaking.

"Want to come back to mine?" he asked. Piper blushed, something Nate found inexplicably adorable and endearing about her.

"Ok," she squeaked in reply, her voice flustered. Still holding hands, Nate stood from his chair and walked alongside Piper, escorting her through the crowds and back to his house at Home Plate, a short walk from the noodle stand. Nate opened the door and stood aside to let Piper enter first, following her in before closing the door behind them. Piper walked forward, back to Nate as she unbuckled the belt around her red, leather trenchcoat and pulled it off, draping it over a chair. Under it she wore a simple button up shirt and leather pants, looking at Nate as she removed the scarf she wore and rested it on top of the coat. Time felt frozen for a moment, until Piper raised a hand and, with one finger, beckoned Nate towards her.

"Come here," she whispered. He slowly walked toward Piper, her hands reaching up to his face and taking it in the palms of her hands as Nate leaned forward. Their lips met, hers soft and full and tasting vaguely of sugar. Nate rested his hands on her ample hips, a part of her body he had always been a fan of, and lightly ran his fingers up her back under her shirt. Piper shuddered as she ran a hand through Nate's hair and, resting it on the back of his head, pulled him against her harder, their tongues dancing in one another's mouths. They continued kissing, frantically, as Piper moved her hands to unbutton Nate's shirt. She began pulling it off as Nate shrugged it off, the shirt dropping into a pile at their feet. Piper pulled away to look at Nate's body; realizing, for the first time, she had never seen him topless before. His vault jumpsuit had not done justice to how well built he was, she now realized, his muscles prominent and firm across his shoulders and chest. She had only a moment to admire before feeling Nate's lips on her neck, moving up to the line of her jawbone and then lightly nipping at her earlobe. A low sigh escaped her lips as she felt Nate's hands unbuttoning the front of her pants, her hands dropping to her side to help slide them down and kicking them off, over the boots she hadn't bothered to remove yet. Nate took a step back, admiring her in turn. She had a light, well-groomed amount of hair; her legs were thick and firm, muscular from how active she was. He felt himself bulging with desire as he looked at the woman standing in front of him. Wordlessly, he placed a hand on her chest and began pushing her backward, leaning forward as they walked to continue kissing her. She stumbled as they reached his bed, Nate pushing her backward so she was completely on it.

"Lay down," he whispered in her ear, his tongue still flicking out to tease at her earlobe and neck. She wordlessly nodded, laying on her back and looking in Nate's eyes as he sunk down her body. Looking up at her, Nate began lightly kissing his way up the inside of her leg, trailing his tongue over her smooth, soft skin; occasionally stopping to punctuate with a kiss or a light nip at her skin. Her legs were smooth and fair, Nate absorbing everything about Piper as she ran her hands through his hair. The scent of her skin was sweet and faint, the fairness of her complexion a contrast to his skin, tanned from exposure to the sun. He kissed his way up Piper's legs, the firmness of the muscles in her thigh turning him on even more. As he did, he reached down with one hand, beginning to unlace his own boots and sliding them off. Lightly, he grazed his mouth over Piper's short, dark pubic hair, kissing her mons before beginning to trail his way down the opposite leg. The move drew an arched back and a moan of pleased agony from Piper at Nate's teasing.

"Please…" she whispered as he kissed his way down her left leg.

"Please what?" he whispered back, his words almost muffled by her leg.

"Don't tease, please."

"What do you want, then?" he asked, a devilish tone in his voice and a faint smile crossing his face as he looked up at her. She looked down to meet his gaze; the fire inside that she had tried to keep contained up until that point bursting out.

"Please eat me out," she said, her voice changing as she did. No longer was it the nervous voice that had been there when they had began kissing. Now it was the voice of a woman who knew exactly what she wanted.

"As you command," he whispered to her, before moving up and flicking his tongue out, over her clit. A sigh escaped Piper's lips at that, as Nate pressed his mouth against her and slowly, gently ran his tongue up the length of Piper's labia; taking in the taste of her lubricant and the womanly scent of her as his tongue reached her clit and began quickly flicking out over it. A full-bodied moan escaped Piper's lips as Nate worked.

"Oh God, yes," she moaned as he slid a finger into her, moving it in a beckoning motion to massage her from the inside while his tongue stimulated her from the outside. "God, you're amazing at that," she whispered, unbuttoning her shirt so it lay open before returning her fingers to Nate's hair. Her breathing increased in short, rapid, shallow gasps; her muscles tensing and back arching as Nate brought her to climax, the orgasm drawing a full bodied scream from Piper.

"Oh fuck!" she screamed, clenching her fingers in Nate's hair and pulling him up towards her. He kissed his way over her body, stopping to flick his tongue over her nipples. Piper pulled harder on him; his lips meeting hers as she placed a hand on his chest and pushed. Nate wordlessly responded, rolling onto his back as Piper's hands darted to the button on his pants. She eagerly pulled them down, his already hard manhood spilling out of them as Piper took it in. She hadn't been with a man in quite some time, she had almost forgotten how much she enjoyed sex. Piper leaned forward, her tongue running up the underside of Nate as he let out a low sigh, before quickly taking him into her mouth and beginning to slowly bob her head on him. She felt Nate's strong, rough hands running through her hair, the sounds of his breathing becoming louder as he voiced his pleasure at what she was doing.

"God, you're amazing at that, Piper," he groaned, as she began using a hand to stroke him while bobbing her mouth on the upper half. Piper kept going until she couldn't take it anymore, until she wasn't sure Nate could take it anymore, and straddled him. Eyes meeting, she slid him into her, slowly letting him stretch her out and enjoying the curious pain-that wasn't-pain that came with his entry.

"Fuck, you are so tight," he moaned, his eyes closed and hands resting on her hips.

"You're so hard," she gasped in reply, as he fully entered her, filling her up. Slowly she began to lightly bounce her hips, moving up and down on him as he opened his eyes, meeting her look with one of his own. Lightly, he ran his fingertips over her body, before surprising her with a short, light smack on her ass. A smile crossed her face at that. "If you're going to spank me, actually spank me," she said, a wicked smile crossing her face as she increased her pace, hands resting on his well-muscled chest. She felt another smack on her ass, a sharper, firmer one; followed by a squeeze. "That's more like it," she said, throwing her head back and running her hands up her sides, over her breasts; before running one through her hair and looking down at the man she straddled. He met her look, a hunger in his eyes she had never seen before as suddenly, without warning, he sat up. Kissing her, he wrapped an arm around her; and in one smooth, quick motion, he flipped them so she was on her back, legs spread and feet, still in their boots, resting on his hips.

"My turn," he whispered in her ear, Piper smiling as she looked at him. Slowly, gently, she grazed her nails down the his back, before squeezing his ass. Nate began circling in her, slowly at first, thrusting so he filled her all the way.

"Fuck…God, fuck," Piper said, a string of curses escaping her lips in between moans as Nate began to gradually increase the pace.

"You like that, babe?" he asked, as he reached for her legs, pulling them up so her ankles rested on his shoulders and he filled her completely.

"I love it, Nate. God, please don't stop…you have me so close," she trailed off, as Nate began pounding her as hard as he could, a thin layer of swear forming on his forehead.

"God dammit…you're gonna make me cum, Piper…" he trailed off, Piper not having time to let out a warning before he quickly pulled out and she felt a warm liquid on her stomach. She looked down, seeing his cum covering her, from the bottom of her breasts to her pubic hair. Breathing heavily, he collapsed next to her, their eyes meeting. "I'm sorry…" he began, as Piper reached out to stroke his face. She laughed at that.

"Sorry for what, Blue?" she asked.

"For coming so quickly. I haven't gotten laid in two centuries," he replied, a smile on his face as she burst out in laughter. "Give me a few, and we can go again." She looked at him, an expression of contentment on her face.

"We can do this for as long as you want, Blue."

* * *

 **So this is just an idea I had after playing through the main quest on Fallout 4. I'm not sure if this will be a one-shot or if I should keep going with it, so tell me what you think.**


	2. She Moves Through the Fair

The faint smell of hydraulic fluid and oil filled the air of the Vertibird as it flew over Boston, en route to a rendezvous with the Prydwen. Nate leaned back against the cabin wall, casually observing the passing wasteland as he remembered his times flying in similar aircraft during his time in the Army, before the war. A half smile shot across his face at the memory of Alaska and combat against the Red Chinese. In the aftermath it had seemed like nothing would ever surpass the Yangtze Campaign and the Anchorage Reclamation in its ability to wake him up in the middle of the night. That was before his 210 year cryogenic sleep, his wife being murdered, his son abducted and he eventually being thrust into an irradiated world where man was no longer at the top of the food chain.

"Somethin' funny?" a soft voice with an Irish brogue said into his ear, over the droning of the Vertibird's turbines. Nate looked to his right, being met by a pair of green eyes looking back at him. Not for the first time, he realized how much Cait had grown on him. Nate smiled at her before replying.

"Yeah. Was just remembering riding on things like this when I was in the Army, before the Great War." A look that bordered concern crossed Cait's face as she reached out and grabbed Nate's forearm in a light hold.

"You ok?" she asked, an uncharacteristic look in her eyes as she did. Nate replied only with a nod.

"I'll live," he replied, before the pilot came over the radio; preempting any further conversation.

"We're on final approach to the Prydwen. Elder Maxson will be waiting on the bridge for you when we're docked, sir," the pilot said, his eyes focused on the looming shape of the massive Brotherhood airship as he did.

"Roger," Nate replied into his radio, adjusting to grab hold of a restraint as he waited for the jolt of the aircraft being caught by the docking arms of the Prydwen. That happened a moment later, shaking both he and Cait forward in their seats slightly. The sound of a hydraulic whining and the feeling of the 'Bird being pulled upwards immediately followed; both Nate and Cait unbuckling their harnesses as the aircraft was pulled into its docking position. The duo exited onto the main deck of the Prydwen while the crew of the Vertibird powered their bird down and began their post-flight duties. Nate walked in the lead, Cait a pace behind him; looking every bit the mismatched duo. She was attired again in the leather corset she typically wore day-to-day, while Nate was in a solid black Brotherhood uniform, combat armor with the wings and sword of the order on his chest. He bounded up the stairs to the entrance of the superstructure, being met with a greeting by the hulking form of the Brotherhood Knight in T-60 armor guarding the entrance. Replying with a quick salute of his own, Nate pulled the door open. His eyes did a quick adjustment; the dim, red light of the interior being a sharp contrast to the bright blue sky that shone over the Commonwealth. As they did, he could see across to the open bridge of the ship, being met by the sight of Elder Maxson and Lancer-Captain Kells waiting for him; having already been informed of his arrival. Not for the first time, Nate thought of the irony that Maxson's title was "Elder." Beneath the scars, the beard and the look of fatigue that years of command had given him, Maxson was still remarkably young. Nate was, biologically at least, six and a half years his superior, 27 to the almost 21 year old Maxson. As they approached the bridge, Cait's voice again drew Nate from his thoughts.

"I'll leave you to it alone? Meet me down in the mess when you're done," she said, resting a hand on Nate's shoulder. He smiled at her before nodding.

"See you there," he replied, before turning to enter the bridge and face Maxson and Kells. As he entered, he was met by a faint smile from Maxson; something that Nate had rarely seen the young man do. Drawing himself to attention, Nate placed his fist over his heart, rendering the appropriate Brotherhood salute. The action was still unfamiliar to him; the habit of rendering the pre-war hand salute of the US Army one that was dying hard.

"At ease, Paladin," Maxson began, Nate relaxing from his rigid position of attention as the Elder spoke. "I'm pleased you've returned. Captain Kells and I wanted to speak with you. Captain Kells," he continued, looking to the other officer as he did. Kells spoke up at Maxson's recognition.

"As I expect Elder Maxson has already explained, the destruction of the Institute is simply the first stage of our operations in the Commonwealth," he began, giving Nate an appraising look that he had grown to be accustomed to from his acquaintance with Kells. Nate nodded in response to him. Before he could go further, Maxson continued speaking.

"In light of your continued service, Captain Kells and I both feel you deserve unique recognition for your contributions, both past and future. It's with great pleasure, and the utmost respect, that you are granted the rank of Sentinel. This is the highest rank a Brotherhood soldier can achieve, but we both felt strongly that it was well deserved." Before Nate could respond, Kells chimed back in.

"In addition, we'd like to present you with a jetpack modification for your power armor. They are incredibly rare amongst our ranks. Wear it with pride." Nate took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts before responding.

"Would I be the only Sentinel in the Brotherhood?" he asked, directing the question to Maxson. Maxson nodded in affirmation before responding.

"In our division, yes. There hasn't been a Sentinel serving under me since…well, for many years now. It's a position that commands a great deal of honor and respect, so I do not award it lightly," Maxson explained; Nate noticing the way Arthur had caught himself before speaking about the previous Sentinel.

"Thank you both. I'm really quite honored," Nate replied, looking back and forth between the two officers as he did.

"The honor is ours," Maxson replied. "There is, however, another matter I'd like to address with you." Nate looked at him, awaiting further explanation. "We are planning on holding a victory and memorial ceremony, recognizing the contributions and sacrifices of members of our order in this campaign. We expect you will be there," he continued. A smile crossed Nate's face before he responded.

"Of course, Elder. Although I think I lost my dress uniform sometime in the past 200 years," he replied. That drew a rare laugh from Maxson, as the Elder relaxed from his normal stance of rigid formality.

"Proctor Teagan will procure one for you, Sentinel. Don't worry about that. There is a related matter, however," Arthur said. "It is our understanding you've struck up a close…companionship with the journalist from Diamond City. Is this correct?" Nate shifted uncomfortably, taken aback by the directness of Maxson's question.

"Piper and I are close, yes," he replied, a defensive tone to his voice.

"There's no cause to be alarmed, Sentinel. We just wish that you extend an invitation to her, too. It has come to our attention that she harbors reservations about our purpose and mission in the Commonwealth. Demonstrating for her that we have good intentions would be useful for the order in building a relationship with the people here," Maxson responded in explanation. Nate relaxed his guard at that. Be it the pre-war Army or the Brotherhood, public relations remained the same.

"I'll see what I can do to bring her, Elder. When would it be?"

"At the end of this week. Preparations are underway now at the airport." Nate nodded at that.

"Very well, Elder. Do you have further orders for me?" Maxson smiled again before drawing himself back to attention.

"I do not. Dismissed, Sentinel," he replied, Nate meeting him with a sharp salute before turning and leaving to meet Cait on the main deck of the Prydwen.

* * *

The presence of Brotherhood soldiers in the Diamond City Market was still unnerving to Piper, even after a solid week of their presence. It wasn't anything to do with the soldiers, specifically; they were nothing if not polite and respectful. If anything, it was that politeness that set her teeth on edge. The Brotherhood soldiers were so polite, so young and healthy and…earnest, for lack of a better term. It seemed so disingenuous, fake; maddening to see someone surrender their free will and just swallow the Brotherhood's bullshit. In some ways she felt as if she was back to square one; except instead of trying to warn Diamond City about synths, she wanted to shake the city by its collective shoulders and shout at them that the Brotherhood wasn't all they seemed.

The irony of the fact that Nate, a man she was rapidly falling for, was a high ranking Brotherhood officer was not lost on her. She still didn't quite understand what motivated him to join the Brotherhood, to stay loyal even in the face of hunting down the Railroad, people he had told her had become his friends. His command of the Minutemen, she thought, had offered them a third way; a way to stop the Railroad and Brotherhood from setting on each other, by using the militia to police the Wasteland and take on the Institute. She had asked him about it, during a night she had spent with him. She had been met with immediate silence, the only explanation forthcoming being that the Minutemen taking on the Institute would have become a "bloodbath." In a way, she was envious of him. She had spent years investigating the Institute, and in a course of months he had managed to find a way in; his descriptions of the underground facility beggaring belief. She wished she could have seen it, before the Brotherhood had blown it sky high. Out of the corner of her eye, Piper saw two uniformed Brotherhood take a seat opposite her at Takahashi's noodle stand. Her instincts, her inherent curiosity, kicked in as she tried to eavesdrop on the conversation. The pair was talking in muted voiced, but not quietly enough that she couldn't hear what they were saying over the noise of the surrounding city. It was when she heard Paladin Danse's name, mentioned in a hushed whisper filled with bitterness, that her attention was piqued. Unable to help herself, she looked directly towards the two soldiers.

"I'm sorry, what did you say about Danse?" she asked, drawing a surprised look from the men.

"Were you familiar with him, ma'am?" the nearer of the two asked. _That title again._ The brainwashing was real with these kids. She couldn't think of them as anything else.

"I knew him. One of your soldiers, Nate Howard, he…well, we're close, and Danse was his sponsor," Piper explained, a slight stutter in her voice as she decided how to frame her relationship with Nate. The mention of his name drew a surprised look from the two soldiers.

"You're the Paladin's reporter friend, aren't you?" Piper smiled at the response.

"I am, although he hadn't bothered telling me he got a promotion," she responded, a false tone of sweetness added to her voice in the hopes of putting the men at ease.

"Yeah, Elder Maxson promoted him after he executed Danse," one of the soldiers replied. The blood drained from Piper's face at the response, her body feeling like ice was running through her veins.

"He…he what?" she asked, her voice becoming strained. Paladin Danse, for any of his faults, had been an extremely close and loyal friend to Nate; Nate had described Danse as his best friend to Piper more than once. He had explained that something about Danse's personality reminded him of the men Nate had served with before the war, before he invariably changed the topic in his typically evasive fashion.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, we didn't mean to upset you. It was kept classified for the duration of the war with the Institute," one of the Brotherhood soldiers responded, a tone of actual, earnest sympathy in his voice.

"Can you tell me what happened?" Piper asked, recovering her footing and focusing on the story that was at hand.

"Danse was a synth," came the reply, again catching Piper off guard.

"That…well, that explains a lot about his personality," Piper replied. A look close to amusement crossed the face of the soldier she was focused on.

"It came out after Paladin Howard returned from the Institute. He came back with a ton of data off of their servers using some device that Proctor Ingram created. When Quinlan and the scribes decoded it, they found Danse listed as a missing synth. Elder Maxson and Lancer-Captain Kells dispatched Paladin Howard to put him down before he could be called back by the Institute and give them detailed information on our operations," the Brotherhood man explained to her. Piper sat, processing. From her vantage point it sounded like nothing less than murder, something she didn't want to believe Nate was capable of. They had traveled together extensively when he was still fresh out of the Vault; he had always been unfailingly helpful and sympathetic to people in need. To think he'd pull the trigger on his best friend…there had to be more to it. With a quick pull she killed the last of the Nuka-Cola she was drinking, before looking back to the men.

"That's all quite a shock. I gotta go, but thanks for telling me," she said, being met with smiles and nods of acknowledgment from the men as they turned back to their food. Looking around the Marketplace, she gathered her thoughts before deciding. There was really only one person in town she considered a close enough friend to talk to. Looking past Moe Cronin's shop, she set off for Nick Valentine's agency.

* * *

The bridge of the Prydwen had become one of Nate's preferred haunts when he couldn't sleep at night.

He couldn't sleep most nights.

The dim red lighting, the humming sound of the airship's systems and the muted conversations of the soldiers on duty were all strangely comforting to him. It reminded him in a way of the nights he was the duty officer at his battalion's tactical operations center, when they were deployed to Alaska. It was quiet. It let him think. As with most nights, his thoughts went to his old life; to Nora and everything that had been stolen from them. The memory of her death, even knowing it had been 60 years earlier for the world at large, still hit him hard enough to take his breath away. Leaning forward, he grabbed hold of the railing along the forward windows and looked out, the skyline of Boston illuminated by spots of electricity, fires and, more than anything, a brightly lit night sky.

"Can't sleep?" a voice behind him asked. Startled, Nate looked over his shoulder to see Elder Maxson, standing in the doorway to the bridge. In stark contrast to when he was on duty, the Elder was wearing only a loose fitting t-shirt and a pair of athletic pants. Quickly composing himself, Nate turned to face Maxson and drew himself to attention, being met with a wave of a hand before he could speak.

"Relax, Sentinel. We're alone, we can dispense with the formality in private," Maxson said, as he walked onto the bridge and took a place alongside Nate, looking out at the city spread before them.

"As you say, Elder. And no, I've had trouble sleeping for longer than I can remember." Maxson replied with an understanding nod.

"As you can see, you are not alone. And its Arthur. In private, when it's just the senior leadership; yourself, Kells? You can call me Arthur."

"Then you can call me Nate. I never did like being called by my rank," he replied. Arthur smiled faintly before responding.

"What's on your mind, Nate?"

"Nothing new. The war with China. The past few months. Nora dying. I keep coming back to that."

"Does the attractive young redhead sleeping in your quarters know that you still grieve your wife?" Maxson asked, a wry smile crossing his face as he looked at Nate; enjoying watching him shift uncomfortably. He was visibly taken aback by the question.

"Cait and I aren't romantic. That's why she's in the bed and I'm spending the night with a bearded man," Nate replied, drawing the first earnest laugh he had ever heard from Arthur. Composing himself first, Arthur met Nate's gaze evenly, a knowing look in his eye.

"Forgive me, but I've discovered in this position that you have to take humor where you can find it," Maxson explained.

"I understand. I discovered the same thing when I was commissioned. Command can be a very lonely position," Nate replied.

"Danse's reports indicated that you had served in the pre-war military. Did you know that was how our order was founded? My distant ancestor, Roger Maxson, was a Captain in the US Army. When the bombs fell, he led his men across the Wasteland to the Lost Hills emergency bunker, and the Brotherhood of Steel was founded." Nate let out a sound of surprise at that.

"I didn't. I haven't had much chance to learn the history of the Brotherhood over the past few months," he admitted.

"Understandable," Maxson replied, before continuing. "Perhaps on the flight back to the Capital Wasteland. Long voyages on this ship can become quite tedious." Before Nate could respond, Maxson continued. "I don't mean to make light of what happened to your wife. What the Institute did…it was a stark example of why we had to do what we did. And you aren't alone in having lost someone close. I mourned Sarah for…well, for a very long time." Nate looked at Arthur, curiosity getting the better of him.

"Who was Sarah?" he asked, being met by a look of sadness in Arthur's eyes.

"She was a Sentinel, actually. Sarah Lyons. Her father, Owyn Lyons, was my foster at the Citadel and the man who led the expedition from California to the Capital Wasteland. When he passed from old age, she became Elder. She was killed in action shortly thereafter," Maxson explained, his voice becoming strained.

"And you were…romantic?" Nate asked, unsure if his mental math regarding their ages was accurate. A sound of amusement came from Arthur at that.

"Oh lord, no. She was about 15 years older than me. But she was my first love. Sarah was…unique. She was intelligent, tough, devoted. She was one of my mentors in learning combat operations. She was killed in one of the opening battles against the Super Mutants being led by Shephard," Maxson said.

"Is that how you came to command?" Nate asked.

"Not immediately. I was 15 when she died. We began taking heavy casualties, I was promoted to Paladin. When she died it emotionally destroyed her partner, a senior Paladin himself. I took charge of combat operations, a senior scribe was elected Elder. He was ineffective; we were combating a local insurgency by an angry population in the Capital Wasteland as well as a coordinated Super Mutant horde. It took…rather desperate measures for us to bring the situation under control." Seeing the look on Nate's face, Arthur continued. "That's actually the last time I had a Sentinel serving under me."

"I noticed you stopped yourself when you promoted me earlier. Who was it?" Nate replied.

"Someone who is still something of a divisive figure, so I don't speak of him often in front of the troops. He was like you, a Vault dweller. A legend grew around him in the Capital Wasteland. He disappeared for some time and when he did, the insurgency we were dealing with began. It was when he returned that I brought him on board with us. I promoted him to Sentinel and together we took on the Super Mutants under Shephard. It ended the insurgency, but there was a great deal of bitterness amongst many of the Brotherhood in the aftermath. He left of his own accord and hasn't been seen since."

"Huh," Nate grunted. "So the final plan is to return to the Capital Wasteland?" Maxson nodded.

"It is. Our headquarters is at the Citadel, the Prydwen is usually docked at Adams AFB."

"That will relive Piper and some of the Minutemen, at least," Nate replied. Maxson paused before responding.

"I actually wanted to speak to you about both of those things," he said. A feeling of unease crept through Nate at that.

"What is it, Arthur?"

"Piper. The journalist. You are romantic with her, yes?" he asked, the bluntness of his question taking Nate aback.

"We are," he replied, after a moment's pause.

"There's no need for alarm, Nate. It was just curiosity. She has expressed concern and unease with the Brotherhood, and about me personally, in the past. I would just ask that you be mindful of what you share about our operations with her," Arthur said.

"I wouldn't think of doing differently. There were a lot of things I couldn't share with Nora either," Nate replied. _And some of that was even because the Army wouldn't let me._ A look of satisfaction crossed Arthur's face at his reply, before he continued.

"The other is in regards to the Minutemen. You are nominally in charge of the organization, correct?" Nate let out a derisive laugh at that.

"Nominally. Those hicks couldn't organize a baked sale if I wasn't there. I'm more like an errand boy than any sort of commander." His answer was met by a laugh from Maxson.

"High praise, Sentinel. That makes me less concerned about broaching this topic with you, then. We've intercepted some…potentially disturbing radio traffic between Wasteland settlements with a Minuteman presence," Arthur began, drawing a confused look from Nate. "We have no solid information, but the phrase 'deliberate phoenix' is used repeatedly. Does that mean anything at all to you?" Nate shook his head before replying.

"Not at all, Arthur. I'll see if I can find out from Preston Garvey or someone at the Castle."

"I would be grateful if you did. Try to get some sleep, Nate," Arthur replied, before patting Nate on the shoulder and walking off the bridge, leaving him alone once more with his thoughts.

* * *

 _For the first time in a long time, Nate was truly happy. The sun shined on his face as his Corvega Coupe raced up I-15, making the run back to Las Vegas from Los Angeles. Alongside him, her long hair blowing in the wind, was Nora. She had flown in from Boston, where she was going to law school, that day. A pair of sunglasses covered her eyes as she looked out at the passing desert, moving her hand up and down in the wind. With a smile, Nate reached over and rested his hand on her exposed leg, the softness of her skin something that he had missed. Looking away from the desert, Nora met his quick glance, before squeezing the hand that was resting on her thigh._

 _After the whirlwind of the previous year, the week of leave he had managed to score couldn't have come fast enough. From China, to the publicity tour the Army had sent him on after he was awarded the Medal of Honor, to being commissioned as a Lieutenant and being reassigned as a Platoon Leader to 2_ _nd_ _Battalion, 108_ _th_ _Infantry Regiment; he and Nora hadn't been able to steal very many private moments. Currently his unit was at Ft. Irwin, just outside of Barstow, California, undergoing retraining and familiarization with the T-51b series of power armor that was making its way to frontline infantry units, prior to their scheduled deployment to Alaska. The word making its way through battalion leadership was that General Chase was preparing for the final push to liberate Anchorage; that outside all the nonsense about a super-weapon being developed to defeat the Chinese a plan of action had been developed, revolving around aggressive use of T-51 equipped units to punch holes through the Red lines for following American forces to exploit. From his own experience, in combat on Mainland China, Nate knew how tenaciously the Reds would defend their territorial gains. And the Chinese Crimson Dragoons, their invisible saboteurs, had been the bane of the American military's existence during their campaign in Chinese territory. The T-51b had proven its value throughout the Pacific as it had entered service, though, and throughout the theater of operations Chinese forces were being pushed back. The protection it afforded proved to be much greater than T-45d, something that Nate appreciated more as he glanced again at Nora._

" _I could get used to this," Nora said, as Nate reached forward to turn down the radio._

" _What's that?" he asked._

" _This. Being together, permanently." She looked back at him, his eyes quickly meeting hers before turning back to the road. She leaned over, kissing his shoulder before resting her chin on him. "This is the last one, right? Your last deployment?" A smile crossed his face at that._

" _Yeah," he replied. "It is. My term of service is up three months after the scheduled end of this deployment. If I make it back, I'll…"_

" _When. When you come back," Nora interjected, reaching down to squeeze his hand. "You're coming back to me, Nate. I don't want to think about a life without you." A smile, one that only those who had seen war could truly understand, crossed his face at that._

" _Ok, Nora. When I come back from Alaska, I'll be done. And then we can start our life together."_

The eyes that met Nate's as he jolted awake were green, instead of the blue his mind expected. He took a moment to reorient himself as Cait looked on, concern obvious on her face.

"You alright?" she softly asked, crouching down to kneel next to him. Shaking off the last of the sleep, Nate looked around and took in his surroundings-his quarters on the Prydwen, given to him after Danse's execution.

"Yeah," he replied. He stood up and stretched as he did, he back sore from sleeping on nothing but a thin pad and a sleeping bag on the floor.

"Ya know you could wake me up or share the bed with me, right? They're your quarters," Cait said, standing back as Nate looked around the room, as if looking for something.

"You were asleep. I'd rather see you sleeping. It's a nice change," he said, smiling at Cait as he did. The nightmares that had gripped her when they had first begun traveling together had caused him to wake her more than once in the middle of the night. Walking across the room, he grabbed his Pip-Boy off of a desk and buckled it back onto his forearm. Turning back to Cait, he continued.

"Long day today. Got some stuff I need to do. You mind if we swing by Diamond City and grab Piper? I need her around for some of it," he explained, being met with a smirk by Cait.

"I'm always up for a threesome," she replied, winking at Nate as she did. Rolling his eyes, he walked past her, out of his quarters and for the Prydwen's flight deck.

* * *

Piper looked up at the sound of the door to Publick Occurrences opening. She was met by the sight of Nate entering, followed closely by Cait.

"Hey, Piper," Nate said, walking across the room to where Piper had been kneeling, repairing her printing press. Cait leaned back against the wall, taking in the scene with the faintest hint of a scowl on her face. Piper responded simply by standing and meeting Nate with a hand on his chest. Despite her urge to rile Cait's jealousy further, the matter of Danse was too prominent in her mind to ignore. A look of confusion crossed Nate's face as he looked down at Piper.

"I hear congratulations are in order, Paladin," Piper said. From where she stood, a sound of surprise came from Cait.

"I'll meet you two in the market," she said, before quickly exiting, leaving Nate and Piper to their conversation.

"It's actually Sentinel now," Nate replied.

"Oh really? Who'd you have to kill to get that rank?" Piper asked, a venom to her tone. For his part, Nate didn't bother acting surprised or confused.

"You heard about Danse, then." It was a statement, not a question. His directness was unexpected enough to take Piper aback. Her surprise quickly passed as her heart sank at his reply.

"You…you actually did it? You killed Danse?" she said, her voice weak. She was met by a nod.

"Yes. I executed Paladin Danse, as per my orders," Nate replied, a shadow of sadness passing his face as he did, before continuing. "I took no pleasure in it. Danse met his end honorably." Piper processed what Nate was saying, before feeling an explosion building in her.

"Your…your orders? Your orders?! You called Danse your best friend more than once! And then Maxson comes in and tells you to kill him and you just go with it?"

"Piper…" Nate began, before she cut him off.

"No, Blue! To hell with your orders! Danse may have been a synth, but he was your friend! He was loyal to you! How could you do that?!"

"Because they were my orders," Nate replied, putting extra emphasis on each word.

"Are you sure it was Danse that was the synth and not you? Because for all the talk your Brotherhood spews about free will and abominations, you sure seem to have surrendered yours!" Nate's face turned to stone at that. With no response forthcoming, Piper continued; the things she had wanted to say since she found out about the Railroad spilling out. "I don't know who this person that's standing in front of me is, but the guy I met in front of Diamond City? He wasn't a murderer. I can understand wanting revenge for your wife. But hunting down and killing your best friend? That isn't orders. That's murder." Nate's temper finally hit the breaking point at that.

"Oh, please, Piper; tell me what you know about being a soldier. What, you learn from the Minutemen? We'll all sit around and fight mutants and raiders and it'll all be ok? It was war. Danse was my best friend. He was also an operational threat to the Brotherhood and our mission."

"Are you even listening to yourself right now?" Piper asked, incredulity in her tone. "Our mission? You've thrown yourself in with…with a bunch of fascists."

"You don't know what that word means, Piper."

"Yes I do! The Brotherhood came here uninvited, because they decided they knew best for the Commonwealth. They aren't even from here! And I've heard the stories about Maxson." Nate raised his hand at that, pointing a cautioning finger at Piper before dropping it.

"Arthur Maxson is a great man. And a great soldier. He fought like a lion during the attack on the Institute."

"Cult of personality. Classic fascism," Piper said, sarcasm dripping in her tone. Nate took a deep breath before responding.

"The Brotherhood has no intention of staying in the Commonwealth, Piper. I spoke with Maxson about it last night. Their goals now are to help stabilize the area through eliminating threats before going back to D.C."

"Oh, so they'll just bail out on all the chaos they caused here and leave us to clean up that mess, too?" she replied, the anger in her burning out as she looked at Nate and realized what was implied by what he was saying. "You going to go with them when they do?" Piper asked, her tone softening. Nate met her stare, shrugging his shoulders.

"I don't know. I haven't thought that far ahead," he responded, hoping the lie didn't show through. "But I do have a specific invitation for you, from Arthur Maxson," he continued, taking advantage of the temporary lessening of her anger. The surprise on Piper's face was gratifying to him, after their previous argument.

"What is it?" she replied, hesitancy in her tone.

"At the end of this week there is going to be a victory and memorial ceremony at Boston Airport. I'm expected to be in attendance as a senior officer. Maxson requested that you accompany me. He understands your concerns about him, and the Brotherhood; and he wants a chance to show you that they have no bad intentions for the Commonwealth, no plan to rule as overlords."

"And you'll be there?" Piper asked.

"I will. We'd be attending together," Nate said, giving her a faint smile in hopes of easing the tension. "Be a great story for the paper, too." Piper thought for a moment before nodding.

"Alright. I can do that," she replied. She looked at him expectantly, as if waiting for something else.

"Cait and I are running errands today. Back up to Sanctuary Hills. Do you want to join us?" Piper smiled at that.

"Sure. Let me just grab some stuff. Meet you guys in the market?" Nate smiled back before leaning forward to kiss her. Reluctantly, she met it, still hesitant after their previous fight.

"See you out there," he replied.

* * *

Cait was drawn from her bowl of noodles by the sound of Nate pulling up a seat alongside her.

"Where's Piper?"

"She's getting packed. While she did, I had a favor to ask," Nate said. Cait downed another mouthful of noodles, drawing an eye roll from Nate, before responding.

"Depends what it is," she replied.

"The Brotherhood has picked up some radio traffic between some of the settlements I've set up for the Minutemen. The phrase 'deliberate phoenix' keeps being used. Can you keep an ear open, see if you can pick anything up?" Cait looked down, stirring her bowl of noodles. She knew her nonchalance drove Nate nuts; it was one of the simple pleasures of traveling with him.

"You know, I dunno why you're asking me. If you wanted a spy you shouldn't have killed Deacon." Nate grimaced at that, giving Cait a brief feeling of remorse; enough to make her uncomfortable. "I've told you, you shouldn't feel bad about burning down the Railroad. They weren't doing anything for you," she continued.

"I guess," Nate replied, before changing back to the original topic. "And I'm asking you because people underestimate you. All they see is a drunk ex-raider. They'll let stuff slip around you because they think you're too wasted or too dumb to remember it."

"Ya really know how to make a girl feel special," Cait replied. Nate blushed slightly at that response.

"I didn't mean I feel that, you know I think you're smart…" he replied, drawing a genuine laugh from Cait.

"I'm fuckin' with ya. Yeah, I'll keep an ear out, see if any of those Minutemen knobs let slip around me." Nate smiled at her.

"Thanks, Cait. I'm gonna ask Preston directly, but I dunno that I'll get a straight answer." Before he could continue, he spotted Piper walking towards them, a bag slung over her shoulder.

"Ready to do this?" Piper asked, smiling at the pair.

* * *

A short Vertibird flight, with a brief layover at Starlight Drive-In, and the group was in Sanctuary Hills. Coming back to the growing settlement was always bittersweet for Nate. He looked around, at a settlement that in many ways was better off than most in the Commonwealth-a river that produced abundant fresh water, enough room for plentiful crops, and well organized defenses that he had helped establish in collaboration with Preston Garvey and Sturges. Automated turrets scanned back and forth over likely routes raiders would take to attack; with small patrols of a militia organized and trained by Preston roving the surrounding area. Holes and gaps in the pre-war buildings that still stood were being repaired by work teams organized by Sturges. And yet, as the trio walked through the settlement towards what had been Nate's house, which was now effectively the middle of the town, his eyes were drawn to the distance. Towering in the distance were massive towers, what had once been power line relays, and a water tower in Concord. It struck Nate, the juxtaposition-the faces of the settlers in the town, attempting to rebuild, yet always living in the shadows of the world that had existed before the war.

As they walked, a two story building; the largest one in the settlement, approached on the left. It served as a makeshift community center; serving as restaurant, lounge, and a sort of city hall all in one. Cait began peeling off from the group, moving towards the door as Nate and Piper kept walking.

"I'll meet you two back here once you're done," she said. "Be good to get in out of this God Damn heat," she continued, more to herself than anyone else. With a casual wave, Nate acknowledged her, continuing on in the direction of his planned destination with Piper-Vault 111.

Piper and Nate walked in silence up the hill, the dilapidated remains of the Vault-Tec billboard peering down at the two travelers. Littering the trail, in the vicinity of the rusted remains of the fence, were desiccated, skeletal remains, scattered over two centuries by the carrion birds and assorted scavengers. It was as they walked and Piper took in the surroundings that she realized where they were going.

"Is this where Vault 111 is?" she asked, her voice vaguely incredulous. In the months they had known each other, Nate had never given any indication as to where it was; never brought her anywhere near the trail they were now on.

"Yeah," he slowly replied, looking around as the path began to level off. At the top of the hill, Piper could see a platform; what looked to be a security booth nearby. All around were reminders of what had once been, rusted cars and construction equipment littering the site.

"Why are we here?" Piper asked, taking time to look around, surveying everything as they walked towards the security booth she had noticed.

"There's one last thing I need to do," he replied. Before she could ask further questions, Nate pointed towards the platform. "If you stand in the center of that platform, you'll be where I was the day the bombs fell. Look south, towards Boston. What's now the Glowing Sea is where the nuke hit. It went off just as we were starting to descend into the Vault." Piper drew in a deep breath, trying to imagine what that day must have been like. It was rare that Nate opened up to her about what his life had been like before the war; she assumed, perhaps naively she realized, that it was simply too difficult a topic to discuss. Piper stood in the middle of the platform as Nate disappeared into the control booth before quickly reemerging and hustling towards her. From some unseen speaker, a klaxon began blaring. Her gaze shot around, before the alarm was interrupted by an ear splitting screech of metal on metal, and a sudden jerk that made her quickly grab onto Nate to keep her balance. She looked up, expecting to see Nate smiling at her awkwardness. Instead she was met by a look of anger that chilled her to her core, as he stared at the far wall of the elevator.

The cold was the first thing he noticed. Colder than he remembered. In the distance, as they walked past the glaring lights of the entrance chamber, came the sounds of dripping water, noticeable only because of the silence of everything else around them. He stopped and turned to Piper as they stepped off the catwalk, her gaze momentarily drawn by the skeleton laying on the floor nearby. Knowing what the Vault held had helped him keep his bearings; trying to ignore that in all likelihood the skeleton represented someone he had at least seen at some point in his life before the war. Most of the Vault staff had lived in nearby Concord, at least two had been veterans that he had met at the Fraternal Post several times. It took Piper a short moment to realize Nate was waiting for her attention to return to him, as she looked around the Vault in wide-eyed shock. Even the entrance hall was more solid, more complex than anything she had previously seen. Composing herself, she turned her attention back to her companion.

"What's the plan?" she asked, unable to help herself from continuing to glance around as she did.

"If you head down that hallway," Nate began, pointing towards an open door as he did, "you'll come to the Overseer's office. His desk has a terminal with quite a lot of his records and notes on it. If you ever wanted to know, to truly know, what Vault-Tec was about, it'll give you a good idea. I'm heading the opposite way. I'll meet you back here after a bit," he explained, nodding at her as if to reassure himself more than anyone else.

"Ok, Blue…" she replied, trailing off as she watched Nate disappear down the other hallway.

He drew in a deep breath, bracing himself as he rested his hand on the red handle, before pressing it forward. Taking a step back, he heard the sounds of air pressure releasing and equalizing, hydraulics working to lift the chamber door. Clouds of icy condensation drifted through the air. The entire room was cold, and dank, and felt entirely like the tomb that it was. Lifting his gaze from the puddle on the floor that had suddenly become very fascinating, Nate laid his eyes on the perfectly preserved remains of his murdered wife.

He knew, on some level, that this couldn't possibly be healthy. It was also why he had resolved that this would be it. One last farewell to the life he had lived before the war. To his wife, to their neighbors and friends, and then he would treat Vault 111 like the tomb that it now was. Slowly, he stepped forward. She was slumped to the side, her body being supported by the chair-like shape of the cryogenic pod. On her chest was the entry wound caused by Kellogg's .44 caliber handgun. With a grim half-smile that quickly faded, Nate remembered that Kellogg had been filled with many similar entry wounds before he finally died. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail, the way she had it the morning that their lives had ended.

"I dreamt of you again last night," he whispered to her, dropping his head as if in prayer. "You made me promise to come home to you, before Alaska. You said you didn't want to imagine a life without me. It wasn't supposed to be the other way around," he continued, his voice cracking as the emotion that he had buried finally came out. "I don't know what I'm supposed to do now, Nora." He dropped his head into his hands and, with a shudder that convulsed his entire body, sobbed. Time seemed to lose meaning, but from some distant place, over the dripping of water he heard another voice.

"Blue? Are you…" there was a moment's silence before the voice dropped into a hush. "Is…is that who I think it is?" Nate managed a nod at the question before feeling a pair of hands on his shoulders. Lifting his head from his hands, he met Piper's gaze through bleary eyes. Wordlessly, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into an embrace; the tears resuming as he buried his face alongside her neck.

"It's ok, Blue. Its ok. Shhhh. You got the people that did this, you avenged her. Just let it out," Piper whispered, saying whatever she could think of to comfort him. Nate quickly composed himself, standing back upright and pushing away from Piper. With a quick rub of his hands he cleared his eyes and, with a deep breath, forced the emotion away. Piper realized, in those quick movements, that the vulnerable man she had just been comforting had been forced away and the soldier had taken his place.

"I'm ok. Sorry you had to see that," he said, as he regained control over his voice. Piper cocked her head inquisitively at him, a look of earnest confusion crossing her face before she responded.

"Nate, don't ever apologize for that. You loved her. You still do love her. That's ok. To you it's only been, what, 8 months since she died? That's nothing." Nate nodded at her in response before speaking.

"Thanks, Piper. Do you mind giving me a moment here? I'll meet you in the next room over." Piper gave him a sympathetic smile and a quick squeeze of his upper arm, before turning to leave him alone again. As she exited the room, Nate turned back to Nora's pod. Reaching to his chest, he unzipped a small pocket on his Vault suit, reaching inside to produce their two wedding rings. Slowly, almost reverently, he laid them at her feet in the pod.

"I love you, Nora. Wait for me," he whispered. Kissing his fingertips, he reached out and toucher Nora's shoulder. The cold swept through him as he withdrew his hand and placed it on the release handle of the cryopod. "Goodbye, my love." With a quick motion he threw the handle, the pod sealing itself shut again as he turned and walked away.

* * *

The enormity of the human life lost in Vault 111 was hard for Piper to process. She was used to death. She had seen it when her father had died, she had caused it during her travels with Nate; something she deeply regretted, and she knew that untold billions had died on the day the bombs fell. And yet here, in the Vault, that loss of life was perfectly preserved. Not through the violent barbarity that had consumed the world in the two centuries since the War, not through petty human drives like money or possessions. It was insidious, remorseless; the way these people had been made victims. First by the governments of the world they had lived in, hurling nuclear weapons at each other as if anyone could win, then again by Vault-Tec when they had been lied to and taken advantage of in what they thought would be a shelter; and finally by the Institute, in their all-consuming drive to push the boundaries of their science further, when they had made a calculation that Nate had explained to her-turning off the life support of everyone else in the Vault maximized the odds that he would survive. It struck Piper then, as it had when he had first told her, as nothing but cruel indifference. The Vault had clearly operated without malfunction and without human supervision for well over 100 years before the Institute broke in; the deaths of all these people seemed to have less to do with some absurd calculus and more to do with the Institute's devaluing of any human life but theirs.

Piper was drawn from her thoughts by the sound of boots echoing through the chill air of the chamber. Turning, she saw Nate walking towards her; his face a portrait of composure and a far cry from the man she had comforted only minutes earlier. He drew up alongside her, glancing at the cryopod she was in front of as a sad smile flickered across his face.

"Did you know her?" Piper asked, gesturing at the frozen remains. Nate nodded at her.

"Yeah. This was Ms. Rosa; she lived across the street from us. She was a widow, her husband was a Marine who died in the Gobi Desert campaign. Me and Nora kinda adopted her when she moved into the neighborhood with her son."

"That was really sweet of you. I'm sure she appreciated it," Piper responded. Nate shrugged.

"Was the least we could do. Her boy was going through a tough time after his dad died. She was doing a car restoration project with him, something to bond over and take their mind off things. I took him down to a few Red Sox games at Fenway." Piper sighed at that, drawing an inquiring look from Nate.

"What was it all for, Blue? You were a soldier before the bombs fell, right?"

"I might have killed a commie for mommy," Nate responded, a sarcastic grin on his face. Piper's look of confusion quickly became a dramatic eye roll at his response before she continued.

"What was it all about? The fighting, the war with China?" Nate took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts, before responding.

"Protecting freedom. The American way of life," Nate began.

"A way of life…" Piper began, cutting him off.

"The Reds just kept on pushing and pushing. Someone had to stop them," he replied, squarely meeting her gaze. She seemed more accepting of that.

"And that someone was you." Nate nodded at her.

"If not me, then who? Someone had to step up." Before Piper could respond, he continued. "Let's get out of here, Piper. The real world is back in Sanctuary." Quietly, the two filed down the hallways, back towards the elevator to the surface. As Piper walked ahead of him along the catwalk, Nate took one last look back. Above him, still visible on the wall, was the painted-on entrance sign. _Vault 111-Welcome Home._ Nate felt the fire, the rage that he had bottled up inside of him, start burning again reading the sign. With one last look around, he turned to meet Piper and return to the real world.

* * *

Nate spotted Cait right away as they entered the building she had ventured into when they arrived in Sanctuary. A moment later he spotted Preston Garvey, seated as far away from Cait as possible while remaining in the building. He fought a powerful urge to roll his eyes at the ridiculousness of it as Cait made her way over to them, a drink in her hand.

"All set?" she asked.

"Yeah, we're good," he replied, before turning his attention across the room and making his way towards Preston, who was eating his breakfast. Preston gave Nate a smile and nod as he sat down.

"Mornin', General," he said.

"How's it going, Preston?" Preston nodded as he chewed his food.

"Doing pretty well. Everything's been pretty quiet since you took out the Institute. Appreciate you following through on activating the evacuation order. Was real decent of you." Nate nodded at him before responding.

"Was hardly a burden," he began. He opted not to tell Preston that the Brotherhood had been rounding up the evacuees, interrogating the adults and inducting the children into the Brotherhood as Squires. "There was something I wanted to talk to you about." Preston raised an eyebrow at him, waiting for Nate to continue. "Last time I was down at the Castle, I overheard some of our Minutemen talking about something called Deliberate Phoenix. Wanna fill me in, Preston?" The way Preston jerked upright in his seat let Nate know that he had hit something important. From behind him he heard a curious sound from Piper.

"People need to learn how to watch their mouths," Preston began.

"Preston. Is there a reason that I'm not being filled in when I'm supposed to be in command of the organization?" Preston sighed before looking at Nate.

"People are worried, General. About the Brotherhood." A quizzical look crossed Nate's face at that.

"The Brotherhood?"

"People are getting worried. Me, Ronnie, Sturges. Other Minutemen. They just showed up and they aren't showing any signs of going home."

"When has the Brotherhood acted aggressively at all towards the Minutemen?" he asked, still incredulous. Preston threw his hands up in a calming gesture before responding.

"I'm not saying we're going to war with the Brotherhood, General. It's just an emergency plan in case they start overstepping or getting aggressive." Nate nodded at that, thinking for a moment before responding.

"Alright," he started, before glancing at his Pip-Boy. "It's Tuesday. I want you to get on the horn with the other leadership, have everyone down at the Castle this Saturday. I want a full briefing then on what the plans for Deliberate Phoenix are." Preston drew a deep breath before looking Nate square in the eye.

"That's going to be hard to do, General. I tried to tell them that we could trust you, but Ronnie and the others think you're in too deep with the Brotherhood. They already came up with the plan, it's already been passed to all the sites…" he trailed off, catching himself as he did.

"And who's supposed to give the order, Garvey? Does anyone in this organization understand how a chain of command is supposed to work?"

"Come on, General. You can't blame people for having questions with the way you and the Brotherhood went after the Institute about where your loyalties are." Nate snorted at that.

"My loyalties. And I'm here wondering where their sanity has gone. The Brotherhood has Liberty Prime and the Prydwen…" he began, Preston shifting and glancing away at the mention of the Prydwen. A sickening realization began in Nate's stomach at that look. Preston's own integrity, his sense of honesty had given Nate a general idea of what the Minuteman plan was.

"I'm sorry, sir. You know I'm on your side."

"My side. Alright, Preston. If you all decide to treat me like your General instead of a spy, I'll be ready to be filled in," he replied, feigning an attitude of betrayal. Nate stood and turned, finding only Piper waiting for him, awkwardly glancing around. With a quick wave to Preston, she followed Nate outside and back towards the Vertibird landing zone at the back of the settlement.

* * *

Cait waited for them, arms crossed and a scowl on her face. Nate, for his part, had a throbbing headache. Between the emotional exhaustion of visiting Vault 111 and now the Minutemen preparing to take on the Brotherhood, he was already prepared to call the day a loss, and it wasn't even noon.

"You can't seriously be thinking of helping these muppets," she exploded as Nate approached. He raised a hand, as if pleading with her to stop, as his other rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Not now, Cait," he began, before turning to Piper. "Want us to drop you off at Diamond City? I have a lot I need to do between now and Friday," he began. A look of disappointment crossed her face at that, before she quickly recovered.

"Yeah, that'll work I guess. I need to pick up a dress from Fallon's if I'm going with you to this Brotherhood thing on Friday," she replied.

"Alright," he said. "We'll drop you off on the way back to Boston Airport." He withdrew a smoke grenade as he spoke, twisting the top and tossing it onto the makeshift landing pad to summon their ride.

* * *

Half an hour later Nate strode onto the bridge of the Prydwen, his rushed footsteps drawing Arthur Maxson's attention. The faint smile faded from his face as he saw the rushed salute and distressed expression on the Sentinel's face.

"Are you alright, Sentinel?" he asked, a hint of concern in his voice. So rushed was Nate that he had failed to notice the other soldiers, men he didn't recognize, who occupied the bridge as well.

"I have to report to you and Kells, now," he began, words spilling out.

"Slow down, Sentinel. Explain what's going on." A quick look of frustration passed Nate's face as he drew a deep breath before continuing.

"I found out what Deliberate Phoenix is, Elder. It's the Minutemen. They have a plan to attack the Brotherhood."

* * *

 **Hi all. So I wrote the first chapter right after Fallout 4 came out and didn't really think it'd be a thing. And recently I played through again, with all the DLC, etc; and decided I could make it a thing. So here it is.**


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